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Home > Sunday Mid Day News > Life of Pi actor Suraj Sharma speaks on breaking into Bollywood from Hollywood

Life of Pi actor Suraj Sharma speaks on breaking into Bollywood from Hollywood

Updated on: 26 February,2017 01:05 PM IST  | 
Aastha Atray Banan | aastha.banan@mid-day.com

Life of Pi and Homeland actor Suraj Sharma on breaking into Bollywood from Hollywood

Life of Pi actor Suraj Sharma speaks on breaking into Bollywood from Hollywood

Suraj Sharma in a still from Phillauri
Suraj Sharma in a still from Phillauri


It's a sunny day in New York, actor Suraj Sharma tells us over the phone. The Delhi boy is spending his time pursuing a course in filmmaking at the Tisch School of the Arts. The countdown to the release of his first Bollywood project, the Anushka Sharma-produced Phillauri, has begun and the anxiety is telling. Sharma, who gained recognition as Pi in Ang Lee's survival drama, Life of Pi, went on to deliver a heart-wrenching performance as Aayan Ibrahim, part-time lover of dysfunctional CIA agent Carrie Matherson, played by Claire Danes, in Homeland Season 5. Post Phillauri, he has a crossover film called Burn Your Maps coming up for release, where he plays an ambitious filmmaker who accompanies a family to Mongolia on a soul-searching journey.


Edited excerpts from an interview.


What was it like to work on your first full-fledged Bollywood project?
What I realised was that an Indian crew can handle any situation. They know how to deal with any type of panga.

It was also a relaxed set. The bond I shared with Anshai (Lal; director) and Anvita (Dutt; writer) did it. Maybe, it was because we all came from Delhi. It was the most enjoyable time I have had on a set, but I am also nervous.

What did you come away with after being around Anushka Sharma and Diljit Dosanjh?
I'd watch them closely on set and I have picked up a few tricks. Anushka can be completely focused and still possess a non-pressuring attitude. That makes it easier to act. She is also all there in the moment, so it feels as if you aren't acting around her. Diljit, who I had just one scene with, I noticed, has a rhythm-based reaction to everything. And that's something I tried to imbibe.

You are in New York for a film course. Do you eventually plan to direct a movie?
I like the idea of being a storyteller. But that said, I think you need a life experience larger than mine to be able to do it. So, right now, I am going to stick to acting. At school here, being in the position I am in, comes with it's own advantages and disadvantages.

The good thing is that I am already in the system, and a working professional. But then, I see all my classmates, who have the freedom to make mistakes, and develop their craft.

What was Claire Danes really like?
(Laughs) Oh, she was amazing. She is such a strong personality. She had her baby on set, and she would go from being a mother to this person driven to madness in a second. How does one do that? She likes to challenge herself. I think I was blessed to work with her.

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